Mini-rotaries in Somerville aimed at slowing down drivers using streets as short cuts
SOMERVILLE - Somerville is testing several ways to get drivers to slow down at intersections across the city. The ones getting the most attention are new mini rotaries.
They're part of several new "traffic calming tools" under Somerville's Vision Zero initiative. The goal is to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries.
"We have a real cut-through commuter traffic problem here in Somerville," City Councilor-At-Large Jake Wilson told WBZ-TV.
He hopes the strategies discourage drivers from taking short cuts through neighborhoods.
"Everything from speed humps to curb bump outs that basically look to shrink the distance at a crosswalk," Wilson said.
The initiative that has people talking the most are the new neighborhood traffic circles that work like mini rotaries. Opinions are mixed.
"It makes no sense, I mean you can't get around them," a driver told WBZ.
A man walking by liked it though. "Slows down the traffic," he said.
"The thinking there is we have these two schools just mere blocks apart, let's roll these out and try these new strategies there and see how they work," Wilson said.
Some are worried the road around the circles might not be wide enough. One woman said cars are hitting the small rotaries. A man told WBZ he was concerned how fire trucks would get through the intersections now.
Wilson told WBZ they're working on fixing that and they'll continue to make any necessary changes.
"I just tell people give them a chance, see how they perform," he said.